One of the most common traps that you can easily fall into as a real estate professional or company is sending out mixed signals about your brand identity. Picture your ideal target market trying to dial into your brand signal in the same way they select a radio station that plays their favorite music. If you play a mishmash of classical, jazz, hip hop, heavy metal, and pop, you are going to have a heck of a time attracting and maintaining a sizable loyal audience. You might say that your station is having an identity crisis.
The same applies to your real estate practice. Is your brand having an identity crisis
Your brand identity is comprised of visible elements such as color, design, logo, in addition to your brand’s slogan and messaging. If you are clear about what you stand for (your area of specialization and your unique approach to it) you can readily distinguish your brand from your competition in the mind of your ideal target market. The key is staying consistent in your messaging.
To get a better idea of what we mean about a brand identity crisis look at the messaging on the box of Hefty small trash bags in the image above. Note the endorser brand, Arm & Hammer (The baking soda brand) juxtaposed to the trademarked words, Lavender & Sweet Vanilla™. These bags are “odor neutralized”.
One of the key brand personality categories is called “Rugged”. Both Hefty and Arm & Hammer are rugged brands; so is Marlboro. Rugged means: sturdy, strong, strongly made, hardwearing, built to last, and tough. Hefty means: burly, heavy, sturdy, strapping, bulky, brawny, husky, strong, muscular, large, big, massive, weighty, solid, well built, solidly built, and powerfully built.
In contrast, Campbell Soup and Hallmark are examples of “Wholesome” brands. Wholesome means nice, clean, virtuous, pure, innocent, chaste; non-erotic, nonviolent, righteous, upright, upstanding, proper, correct, honorable, honest, just, noble, respectable, decent, and simple.
Ruggedness and wholesomeness within the same brand message typically send mixed signals. It’s like a split personality. What do you think?
If you are unsure of your brand identity or wishy-washy in the way you communicate it, you may be suffering from a brand identity crisis! Helping real estate professionals and companies consistently articulate and communicate their true brand identity is what we do at Napa Consultants, International. The process itself is an amazing journey in self-discovery as well!